Chapter I

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

One of the most important and crucial decision to

make in life of senior high school students is to decide

and choose the perfect track and strand for their future

(course in college). The proper guidance in selecting their

desired career is needed in this stage of their life. Where,

they arrived at the right decision considering their

capacities, educational benefits, own reasons and their

other considerations. Sadly, not many of them have been

guided properly into making the right decision. Many

parents either make decision for them or give them freedom

to choose without raising certain details necessary for

making an informed decision.

The researcher’s curiosity and their uncertainty of

their chosen strand lead them to conduct this research

study to help others and themselves to make them feel that

they chose the right strand base on what they want for

their future, have passion for what they do or will do and

to not regret what they chose for that is there choice.

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This study gives information for those who do not

know or those who are uncertain in their decision of their

chosen strand.

One of the significant features of the K-12 systems

is the integrations of specialized tracks designed to help

students in determining their respective career paths. The

K-12 program’s goal and purpose is to enhance the student’s

ability based on what they want to do after graduation. K-

12 has four tracks-academic, technical-vocational, sports,

arts and design.

This study focuses on ABM strand that stand for

Accountancy, Business and Management. ABM strand focus on

the basic concepts of financial management, business

management, corporate operations and all things that are

accounted for. This strand is for those who plan on taking

up Economics, Business Administration, Accountancy,

Entrepreneurship, Marketing in College and other business

courses.

Most likely this strand could lead the students to

their maximum development and ultimate success; the

students are given assistance in attaining a high level of

efficiency and satisfying results in the activities in

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which they will engage in. As a whole, they will be helpful

in formulating systematic goals and plans for their future.1

Generally, this study aims to discover the Variates

that Affect the Choice Strand of ABM senior high school

students in UEP that will take up business courses after

they take the ABM strand.

This research will give enough and pertinent

information and proper interpretations characteristics to

help them make decision in choosing strands.

Objective of the Study

The main purpose of the study aims to discover and

identify the Variates that Affect the Choice of Strand of
ABM students in UEP for senior high school that with take
business course or will starts their own business after
graduating.

The study, would like to find the following:

1. Determine the socio-demographic profile of the

respondents.

1.1 Sex

1.2 Family (Monthly) Income

2. Identify the variates affect the choice of strand of

senior high school students.

1
Christanelle, C. (2017). The Advantages and Disadvantages of Taking the Business Course as ABM Senior
High School Students in the University of San Agustin. Retrieved from https://www.scribd.com on
September 28, 2017
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2.1 Identify the reasons of senior high school

students of choosing the ABM strand and their

plan after graduation.

2.2 Find advantages of the SHS students in choosing

the ABM strand.

2.3 Look for the benefits of choosing the ABM

strand of the respondents.

3. Determine if the variables such as the profile and the

variates affect the choice of strand of ABM senior

high school students.

Significance of the Study

The significance of this study is it can help the

school of UEP to help, guide and improve the decision

making of the incoming senior high school students in

choosing their career preference.

It can be a reference for the teacher to help the ABM

SHS students in choosing their future career and they can

also offer more relevant courses suited for them and for

the need of the society so it can limit the emergence of

labor mismatch.
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In the parents case they will be more aware of their

children’s career preferences so they can understand,

support and guide them in deciding what to take.

And also for the incoming SHS students they can have

an insight of what ABM is, the reasons to be ABM students,

the benefits and advantages of being ABM students. 2 It also

make the ABM senior high school students feel that they

should not regret that they chose the ABM strand, that

taking the ABM strand is the first step for achieving their

dreams.

On the overall, this study can serve as a reference

in helping the teachers, parents and incoming senior high

school students, and also this study is to help and give

essential information concerning of the career/track and

strand preferences of students from Senior High School of

University of Eastern Philippines. This study also can be

an eye opening for the incoming senior high school students,

in choosing ABM strand.

2
Christanelle, C. (2017). The Advantages and Disadvantages of Taking the Business Course as ABM Senior
High School Students in the University of San Agustin. Retrieved from https://www.scribd.com on
September 28, 2017) .
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Scope and Limitation of the Study

This study focuses on Senior High School students of

University of Eastern Philippines who are taking up ABM

strand for school year 2017-2018.

The researchers have a limited time for conducting

and making this research study. The knowledge of the

researchers is limited and also the availability of the

resources that related of this study is limited. There’s no

ROL/RRL about the study in the location of the study or

where this study is conducted.

The study focuses on the SHS students of UEP so the

results of this research may not be generalizable to

students outside of Northern Samar.

Theoretical Framework

The study anchored on the theory of H.B Gelatt the

Decision making theory or the Positive Uncertainty that

this theory does not believe that decision making is

rational and will follow the seam structure every time a

career decision needs to be made. Gelatt argued that an

individual could two attitudes when dealing with change.

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They would need to:

1) Accept the past, present and future as uncertain,

2) Be positive about the uncertainity.

Gelatt believed that there were four factors that

could be used to guide an individual in the decision making

process

The following is a brief summary from Gelatt, 1991:

These four factors include: 1) What you want, 2) What you

know, 3) What you believe and 4) What you do?

Galett stressed the Importance of Positive Uncertaint.

Gelatt believed that it was important to use positive

attitudes and factors to provide flexibility and balance.

It does so by combining the traditional, linear, rational,

left-brain approach with the creative, nonlinear, intuitive,

right-brain approach into an ambiguous, paradoxical set of

principles for planning and deciding.

The most important principles are that an individual

continues to be: focused and flexible, be aware and wary,

be objective and optimistic and be practical and magical

This theory is found to be appropriate of its

stressfulness in terms of choosing a career that and it

relates to ABM SHS students in choosing their chosen strand

and concerned with ongoing choices across the life span.

The decisions that we make are influenced by our awareness

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of the choices that are available to us and our knowledge

of how to evaluate them.3

Another theory that can support the Decision-making

theory of Gelatt is the Cognitive theories of career

development are built around how individuals process,

integrate and react to information. The ways in which

individuals process information are determined by their

cognitive structures. These structures influence how

individuals see themselves, others and the environment.

Cognitive theories suggest ways to help clients build or

refine a hierarchy of thinking skills and decision making

skills that influence career development. And the other

theory is the theory of Parson’s the Talent-matching approach,

in the theory which he wrote “In the wise choice of vocation

there are three broad factors: A clear understanding of yourself,

your aptitudes, abilities, interests, ambitions, resources, and

limitations; A thorough knowledge of the requirements and

conditions of success, advantages and disadvantages,

3 Gelatt, H. B. (1992) Positive Uncertainty: A Paradoxical Philosophy of

Counseling Whose Time Has Come. ERIC Digest. Retrieved from
https://www.ericdigests.org/1992-3/positive.html September 28, 2017
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compensation, and prospects in different lines of work; and True

reasoning on the relations of these two groups of acts.”4

4 Raphe, P. (2010). My Thesis Proposal. Retrieved from Slide Share

https://www.slideshare.net/rap3r/my-thesis-proposal on September 28,
2017
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Conceptual Framework

There are various variables that directly or

indirectly affect the senior high school students in

choosing the ABM strand such as the Independent variables

and the dependent variables. The Independent variables such

as the Profile of the respondents include the sex, and the

monthly income, and the Variates that contain the SHS

students reasons, plan after taking ABM strand or after

graduation, the advantages and the benefits in taking the

ABM strand.

For Profile the researcher assumed that most of the

Female senior high school students are taking ABM strand

rather than Male SHS students. Their family monthly incomes

are most likely Php. 1 000-10 000.

For the Variates it also assumed that the most

reasons of the SHS students in choosing the ABM strand are

because of their dream career, the course that they want in

college are related to the strand, the advantages of taking

the strand for improving their skills and knowledge, and

the benefits that they can get affect their decision in

taking ABM strand (the Dependent variable).

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Both of the Independent variables such as the Profile

and the Variates can affect the Dependent variable. The

conceptualization of the study is shown in Figure 1.

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INPUTS OUTPUT

Independent variables Dependent

Variables

1. Profile

1.1 1.1 Sex

1.2 (Monthly) Income

Senior High School
2. Variates
Accountancy, Business and
2.1 Reasons
Management student’s choice
2.1.2 Plan of ABM SHS
of strand.
after graduation

2.2 Advantages

2.3 Benefits

Figure 1: Show that the Independent Variables affect the

Dependent variables
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Hypothesis

The following hypotheses are formulated for acceptance

or rejection of the study:

1. The socio-demographic profiles such sex, and income

does not have significance of the choice of strand

of senior high school students.

2. The variates such as reasons, plan of the ABM senior

high school students after graduation, advantages

and benefits does not have significance of the

choice of strand of senior high school students.

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Definition of Terms

ABM Strand. In this study ABM strand is one of the Academic

tracks. This means Accountancy, Business and Management.

This track also id for those who plan on taking up

Economics, Business Administration, Accountancy and

Marketing in college.

Emergence of labor mismatch. Refers to the inefficient

employment which, the field of specialization does not

match with the profession landed

K-12 system. is the newly implemented educational system in

the Philippines where in it covers Kindergarten and 12

years of basic education to provide sufficient time for

mastery of concepts and skills, develop lifelong learners

and prepare graduates for tertiary education, middle-level

skills development, employment and entrepreneurship.

Opportunities. These are favorable juncture of

circumstances. In this study, opportunities would refer to

the circumstances favorable employment or pursuing a career,

e.g. location, trends, high pay, etc.

Senior High School. is the second part of secondary education

under the K-12 program, wherein the students would take up

the subjects under their career pathway specialization.

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Socio-Demographic Profile. refers to sex, age, parent’s

educational attainment, parent’s occupation, size of income,

and sibling position.

Variates. A variate is a generalization of the concept of

a random variable that is defined without reference to a

particular type of probabilistic experiment. It is defined as

the set of all random variables that obey a given

probabilistic law.

Correlational. is simply defined as a relationship between

two variables. The whole purpose of using correlations in

research is to figure out which variables are connected.

5Christanelle, C. (2017). The Advantages and Disadvantages of Taking the Business Course as ABM Senior High School
Students in the University of San Agustin. Retrieved from https://www.scribd.com on September 28, 2017

6Joshua,J. (2015). Factors Affecting Senior HighSchool Track Preferences of Grade 9 Students of Don Bosco
Technology Center, Inc. Academic Year 2014-2015: A Basis for Career Guidance Program. Retrieved from
http://www.academia.edu on September 28, 2017

7MaryDel, J. (2013). Labor Mismatch in the Philippines: Analysis of the Impact of Education-Occupation Mismatch on
Wage and Analysis of the Beveridge Curve. Retrieved from http://www.pes.org.ph on September 28, 2017
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8Eric, W. "Variate." From MathWorld--A Wolfram Web Resource. http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Variate.html on

October 12, 2017

9Devin, K. (2017) Correlational Research: Definition, Purpose & Examples. Retrieved from
http://study.com/academy/lesson/correlational-research-definition-purpose-examples.html on October 12,2017